Will KCR realise Hyderabad Skyscrapers dream?

Will Skyscrapers See Light of the Day?

• The ambitious plan is in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s orders
• Activists and opposition party members flay the plan
• KCR constitutes seven teams from the revenue department for land identification and survey

Inspired by cities like Mauritius, Singapore and others, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao embarked on an ambitious plan of having skyscrapers around Hussain Sagar. The Chief Minister held a detailed review meeting with the revenue and other officials on Tuesday on the proposal of constructing sky scrapers with 60 to 100 floors and also examined some of the tower models. However, this mega plan of garlanding Hussian Sagar with skyscrapers has not gone well with a few activists, who voiced out their concerns.

“We are not against the development of high rise buildings, but we consider Hussain Sagar as an inappropriate site for such purposes. Prima facie we are against the intended project. Many, if not all, the locations for such projects fall within the shikam land of the lake. The high rises and the consequential increase in activities would further add to the increasing pollution -- air, ground and noise -- around the lake and its surrounding area. There would be an increase in traffic and parking problems, and problems of garbage disposal, sewerage water, etc, would become manifold. The core value of Hussain Sagar would be further diminished,” said M Vedkumar, president, Forum for Better Hyderabad.

Reportedly the revenue department has constituted seven teams to identify lands around the lake and they have completed survey of the 21 acre DBR Mills’ vacant land. The Chief Minister seems gung ho about the project, but in all possibility he and the government would have to wage a legal battle as this ambitious plan is against court orders.

A Supreme Court appointed committee, which inspected the lake in 2000 and submitted a report regarding the encroachments, stated that the Hussain Sagar Lake, which is at the centre of the city and Central Business District (CBD), should not be allowed to become a part of the CBD or used for allowing picnicking, entertainment and commerce in the name of creation of parks.

“The lake should not be allowed to be converted into any more parks, and in any case no buildings or structures should be allowed near the lake area as a whole. By keeping the lake and its immediate surroundings relatively free from air pollution by not commercialising the immediate areas around it, the city would get some relief from the high asthma and other air pollution-related health effects that most other big Indian cities are suffering from,” states the report.

Citing recommendations of the report, cases were filed against a few of the constructions that came up after 2000 in the area. These cases are still pending. The committee had clearly stated in the report that buildings above two storeys (ground + one floor) should not be allowed under any circumstance.

Former MLA and BJP national executive committee member N Indrasena Reddy flayed KCR’s plan of garlanding Hussain Sagar with skyscrapers.

“It was KCR who flayed the then government for concentrating the IT sector only in Hyderabad and leaving out other parts of Telangana and now he is doing the same thing that he had earlier opposed. With regard to the construction of PV Narasimha Rao Ghat, the High Court took offence as it was against the guidelines of the Supreme Court. In another case against the constructions on Necklace Road, the government saved its neck by giving in written to the court that those were temporary constructions. This proposal is in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s orders,” he said.

Indrasena Reddy also alleged that this project is a ploy that will benefit big players. With criticism from all corners and a likely legal wrangle, it remains to be seen whether the project will see the light of the day.